


Sacrificial Hamster

by negiramen



Series: My Boredom Is Infinite [1]
Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Gods, M/M, Red String of Fate, woogyu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-03
Updated: 2014-05-03
Packaged: 2018-01-21 19:03:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1560797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/negiramen/pseuds/negiramen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Woohyun is a god whose wrath could destroy the Earth with the wave of his hand and Sunggyu might just be the most unwilling, rudest sacrifice he has ever seen. (plus this might be the most unfitting summary ever)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sacrificial Hamster

**Author's Note:**

> woohoo~ i made an ao3 account. for whatever reason, but i want to share my works from aff here too <3
> 
> don't steal the story! more can be found on aff!
> 
> -ramen

 

 

_The thi ng about birthdays is that you never know what will happen. Maybe no one will remember it and then you spend the day all miserable, wondering why no one has thought of you. Or you get surprised by a huge surprise party that your friends organized in secret, resulting in all of you getting drunk and having a terrible headache on the next morning. There are plenty of other scenarios that might happen, but what most people would probably not expect to happen is the following:_

 

Imagine you are a regular commoner living in a peaceful, little village. It doesn’t matter what is the name of the village or where it is, because the world practically has a million of those little villages that all seem to live in their own world. Every place has their own traditions and their own god they believe in, which has often led to ~~wars~~ – ‘wars’ sounds too hard, let’s call it _brawls,_ because it’s basically just a few villagers hitting each other with fists and pitchforks and there rarely are any deaths, anyways – brawls and some discussions over which god is the strongest one in the heavenly realm. But I’m getting further and further away from the whole point of this. So, you measly, uneducated commoner whose birthday is today, please imagine you have just woken up, because someone is knocking against your wooden door in a constant, very annoying fashion. There is more than one person knocking and they are even shouting your name – you get the picture: very annoying indeed.  
  
So, you get out of bed and half-expect a surprise party delegation in front of your door. You are, of course, pleasantly surprised and moved that the whole village seems to feel like they have to congratulate you right away in the early morning. The gesture is nice enough to make you forget the fact that you really frigging hate waking up early. You manage something similar to a smile and open the door.  
  
No one is singing a birthday song. No one’s even holding something like a cake or a present or something else that looks remotely like they are here for a celebration. In fact, everyone looks pretty damn serious and even the sky looks kind of dark and sullen. The village head is right in front of you and he doesn’t look like he is about to give you the best present the world has to offer – because damn you only get 18 once in your life.  
  
“The Great God is very angry.” The head speaks slowly.  
  
It’s certainly not a sentence you have never heard before. The water god that is protecting your village has always been a little fickle. Though that does not explain why the whole village is at your door, early in the morning, on your birthday.  
  
“We need a sacrifice.” He continues as he notices that you are not going to react in any way other than blank stares.  
  
The sentence isn’t that surprising either. You have seen the god pissed plenty of times and usually the villagers offer him some poor girl to soothe his anger. It’s too bad, because they are usually really pretty, but the water god not only has a bad temper, he also is quite picky. You once heard a story of a girl actually getting spit out of the lake again with a little note ‘too ugly’ sticking on her forehead – poor girl indeed. But that doesn’t really explain why everyone is currently at your door.  
  
The village head lets out a sigh, probably disappointed by the lack of reactions from your side – it IS early in the morning after all, what did he expect? “You are the sacrifice this time, Sunggyu.”

 

  
  
_Wait, your name is not Sunggyu? It must be your lucky day!  
You are not chosen as a sacrifice on your birthday, congratulations.  
Now take a deep breath, thank your parents and take a moment to pity this poor Sunggyu dude,  
who has just gotten the bad news.  
  
It must suck to be him._

  
  
Sunggyu is unsure how to react. Being told that he’s going to be sacrificed seems more than absurd. He lets out a nervous laugh. “Aah, I get it. It was a joke – a very good one. You almost had me.”  
  
No one is laughing along. “It wasn’t a joke, actually.”  
  
He looks at all of their faces, but not even one person is wearing a smile. Now that he thinks about it, there are mostly men in the crowd. It seems ridiculous, impossible what they are saying. “I’m not a girl though, at least last time I checked, I wasn’t. You can check again if you want.”  
  
Sunggyu is already threatening to pull down his leather pants, but one of the men quickly stops him. “No, no, we know that.”  
  
The young man lets out a huff and crosses his arms. “Then why are you here? As far as I know the _oh so great_ water god only wants the most beautiful, female virgins as sacrifices.”  
  
“Well, the thing is…we don’t have any more female virgins in this village. The girls are either too young or already far beyond the definition of ‘virgin’. The God is angry! We have no other way to save this village – No, to save the planet!”  
  
“I’m still waiting for the explanation why you are at _my_ place. Just get some virgin from another village if it’s so damn important!”  
  
One of the younger men clears his throat. “Oh, come on, Sunggyu, we all know you are still a virgin and as of today you are officially of age – it’s like fate wants you to be the sacrifice! And you are not bad to look at either, so, yeah…”  
  
“Hell no!” Sunggyu shouts out loud. He throws the door closed and puffs his cheeks. “Get another fucking person to do this! I’m not going to be a sacrifice for that moody ass.”  
  
“Sunggyu!” The village head exclaims in shock. “Show respect to the Great Water God! You are going to make him even madder!”  
  
“Well, he will probably drown all of you anyways, when you send him a damn man! I’m a man! You hear me? I’m not one of those pretty air-heads that gladly offer themselves to this great whatsoever brat! I have plans for my future and they don’t include getting thrown into a lake, well, thank you! My answer is no!” He trots over to the small kitchen to grab a cup of water. It’s really too early for ridiculous jokes like these.  
  
The knocking returns. “Sunggyu! Open the door!”  
  
The most ridiculous is probably the fact that they could just get in by themselves – the door does not even have something like a lock and it would definitely just fall down if they used a bit more strength. “Let me think about it – NO. Look for someone else. Just send some girl. He won’t know if it’s a virgin!”  
  
Of course, it’s a tad selfish that he puts his life over that of those girls, but Sunggyu has really no intention of dying at the early age of 18. He still has all of his life ahead of him. He has even worked out a great 5-year-plan that included leaving the village and going to a bigger city, finding a nice woman (He’s not that picky, just maybe auburn, middle-long hair, slightly wavy and when the wind goes through it, it should look like a wild fire; she has moss-green eyes – the left one is slightly smaller than the right one, but that’s okay because it actually looks charming – and full, red lips that taste like apples; her fingers are long and slim, every day picking flowers in the garden or in the fields, using them to make flower arrangements that she can sell at the market; when she smiles the sun pales in comparison and her laughter is enough to make the birds faint in jealousy. Her father used to be a knight at the castle, but he died an honorable death for his king. The mother is still alive, but she never talks about her and later they would find out that she is actually a witch. When she threatens to kill his wife, Sunggyu of course kills her like a true hero. Not really that much to ask for, isn’t it?), moving together into a little house with a red roof and a wide garden. They are going to have seven children and Sunggyu is definitely going to call the first girl Clover and then comes Eunbi, the third one will be a son (Henry)-  
  
“This is our last warning! Do you want all of us to die?” Sunggyu snaps out of his thoughts and he glares at the door. He has no idea what the villagers have been saying, while he was daydreaming about his wife and the seven children they are going to have, but things seem pretty severe by now.  
  
“There is no one else we can send! You are our only hope.” The village head shouts. “He’s going to destroy the village and when he’s done, he will continue with the rest of the world!”  
  
“Don’t be so selfish!”  
  
Sunggyu sits down on the chair and takes a slow sip from his cup. He nods to himself because the water tastes like heaven. Too bad it’s not good enough to die for. They could force him outside and to the lake, but it doesn’t count as a sacrifice if you are not willing to go.  
  
“Just take it as a compliment!”  
  
He raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t move from his spot.  
  
“You are very beautiful! All the girls are jealous of your flawless skin and your pretty hands!”  
  
“They say your hair is softer than a bunny’s fur!”  
  
The compliments continue and Sunggyu uses the time to empty a second glass. He bathes in their comments. Eventually, the shouts die down. “We are giving up.”  
  
“I’m sorry, Sunggyu. We shouldn’t have asked that of you.” The village head says with a sad tone. “We will look for someone else.”  
  
“How about we throw a big feast to celebrate your birthday and as an apology? Please forgive us.”  
  
Sunggyu smiles and walks over to the door again. He opens it with an innocent expression. “Oh, you don’t have to~”  
  
The village head bows slightly and the others follow. “We shouldn’t have bothered you. You’re right. We can just ask a girl from another village.”  
  
An arm is thrown over his shoulder and they drag him away from his house while laughing. They come together in the middle of the town and in the speed of light chairs and tables are brought. Soon they are filled with all kinds of food and the tavern nearby delivers them two barrels of their finest beer. Sunggyu finally gets to hear a birthday song and the villagers all bring him presents. They eat and drink - the threatening, dark sky over their heads seemingly forgotten. It’s a perfect little birthday party. The only thing missing- oh, not anymore, there is the music. He joins the ladies for a dance after finishing another goblet of beer.  


 

Sunggyu is very, very drunk after a few hours. Very drunk and very happy. He doesn’t even notice when it starts to rain and he doesn’t hear the loud thunder in the sky. The young man feels fuzzy and warm inside, unconsciously appreciating the cold raindrops hitting his skin. Hands grab his arms and pull him up from his chair. He hears someone speaking, but Sunggyu can’t catch the words and he can’t really keep his eyes open long enough to identify the person speaking. He figures they want to help him into a house or so – a shelter from the rain. Sunggyu mumbles a ‘thanks’ as he gets dragged away.  
  
His feet can barely keep up with the fast pace. Sunggyu feels like he can smell the forest, which seems kind of weird considering they were still in the village and it’s kind of weird how long they are walking. Isn’t the village head’s house right in the center of the village? They could’ve hidden there. But he shrugs the thought of. The alcohol is probably just playing with his sense of direction and time.  
  
They stop somewhere and Sunggyu feels a bit of relief, but it’s not really any drier. The rain seems even heavier now and his clothes are all drenched. He can hear voices speaking again. It almost sounds like several voices speaking at the same time – similar to a prayer.  
  
“Aren’t we going in? I’m all wet…” He slurs and leans onto the man right of him, because his feet can’t seem to hold him up anymore.  
  
“Why don’t you go first? It’s warm and dry inside. We can’t have our birthday boy getting a cold.” One of the voices says. The hands around is left arm disappear.  
  
Sunggyu hums tiredly and the other man helps him into a standing position again. He gets a soft push and Sunggyu stumbles forward with closed eyes. He really can’t wait to find a bed. Nice and soft and-  
  
 _Splash_  
  
His eyes snap open as his body falls into the water. He opens his mouth to grasp for air, but quickly closes it again because only water gets inside. Sunggyu throws his limbs around, blindly hitting the water in a struggle to get back to the surface. But the lake seems like a wild beast in the storm. He gets thrown around by the current, pulled even deeper no matter how hard he paddles and fights against the numbness stretching through his body. He can see it crystal clear now – he has been tricked. They just got him drunk to make him walk into the lake on his own.  
  
He feels his eyesight weaken again, but suddenly all fear seems to be gone from his mind. Sunggyu feels strangely at peace and although the water must be frigging cold, he is surrounded by a soothing warmth. It feels like someone is embracing him, protecting him from the coldness. The wild waves and the thundering sky seem distant now, instead he feels like he is not moving at all anymore. Sunggyu gives in to the warm embrace and welcomes the blackness.  


 

* * *

 

 

  
  
Woohyun steps out of the little pond with the unconscious sacrifice in his arms. His naked feet touch the white marble, which is pleasantly warm against his skin. He glances down at the figure in his arms. While Woohyun is very much dry, the male in his arms is drenched. The wet strands of hair and his clothes are sticking to his skin, which seems almost as white as the marble to his feet. He looks dead, but he isn’t. Woohyun has pulled him out of the water before he could choke on it, though he has no idea why. His body had reacted on its own, making him jump into the water when he saw the male fighting for his life. He should’ve let him drown and enter this world like everyone else or spit him out again, because Woohyun only accepts female sacrifices that meet his standards, but here he is - with a still alive human in his arms. He wonders why his body has reacted like that, why the slim body in his arms feels so familiar.  
  
“Master Woohyun!”  
  
His gaze shifts and he looks at Chorong, one of his priestesses. They are all standing somewhere along the seemingly endless path of white marble that leads straight to the temple. He can see confusion on most of their faces, probably because Woohyun has never before jumped into the pond like that for anyone. Their clothes were mostly the same as they all wore white robes, but some had colorful designs on them, indicating that they were of a higher status. Chorong was a high priestess, one of the first sacrifices that entered his realm through the pond. Her death was thousands of years ago, but Woohyun still remembered her pale body swimming face down in the water. She is the one he trusts the most and often the one trying to calm him when he is – as she calls it – throwing a tantrum.  
  
She bows her head slightly and Woohyun catches the small smile on her lips. “Is this the new sacrifice?”  
  
“It’s a man.” Woohyun states matter-of-factly. He feels like he said something dumb, when the high priestess laughs.  
  
“Yes, but more of a boy I would say. He looks pretty young.” Chorong comments and Woohyun lets out a quiet growl. She chuckles. “Let’s get him dried and warm. We will take proper care of our new brother, _Master_.”  
  
She nods to the girls next to him and they move to take the human from his arms, but Woohyun strengthens his hold and just walks past them. “I’ll carry him. He’s too heavy for you.”  
  
That’s not really true since the male in his arms barely weights anything. Woohyun can’t explain it, but it feels right to hold him in his arms and thinking about the human in someone else’s arms made him feel a spark of jealousy. _Jealousy_. He shook his head shortly. He is a god, a mighty one on top of that, and the other is just a human – why does he care so much? Woohyun stares at his face while walking, trying to find the answer somewhere between the fine curves of his lips, the strong nose and the long eyelashes.  
  
“Who are you?” He whispers to the stranger, who of course doesn’t answer.  
  
He carries the male to one of the empty chambers of the temple and puts him down on the bed. Woohyun is about to look for a towel, when Chorong enters the room behind him with one in her hands and a simple, white robe hanging on her left arm. “What are you doing, Woohyun?”  
  
“It’s Master Woohyun.” He replies with a snort.  
  
She closes the door and puts the things on a chair. “It’s just the two of us here. Didn’t we agree we would talk like friends in times like this? It’s okay to stop being a god for a few minutes, Woohyun.”  
  
The priestess shoos him away from the bed. Woohyun glares at her but steps aside. He watches as she undresses the boy carefully, but she stops her movements a second later to look at him. “Would you mind turning around or are you going to continue raping him with your eyes?”  
  
He lets out another growl. “Chorong! I am NOT doing that.”  
  
“Then it should be no problem for you to turn around.” She retorts with a teasing smile.  
  
Woohyun huffs and does as told, quietly sulking in his corner. A few minutes pass before Chorong allows him to turn around again. The human is tucked under the blanket, his chest softly moving up and down. “So, why don’t we talk about _this_ now, Woohyun?”  
  
He glances at the high priestess. “About what?”  
  
She crosses her arms. “Maybe about the fact that you broke one of the rules today? How could you pull him out before he’s dead? It’s a rule, damn it! _You_ are the god, you know the rules better than me and it’s now allowed for a living human to enter the realm of the gods. Not to mention that you did it in front of all of us! I may not care, but you do realize, that all the other girls present during your little heroic moment have died for you! They _died_ to come here and serve you! You didn’t save any them. How are they supposed to feel now?”  
  
“I didn’t- I don’t know why I did that, Chorong.” He lets out a sigh. “I wasn’t thinking.”  
  
“Obviously. If the other gods find out, you will have more problems than a few jealous girls in your temple. The old gods already dislike you enough because of your temper. They won’t hesitate to use this against you. I’m worried about you, Woohyun, and I’m not the only one. You know that all of us care deeply for you.”  
  
Woohyun ruffles his hair and looks over to the unconscious male. “I know, but my body reacted on its own. I can’t describe it, Chorong, but I had to save him.”  
  
“You could’ve just thrown him out of the lake again - to his own people.”  
  
“I told you I wasn’t thinking!” He snaps and the room around them turns dark. She seems scared for a moment, but then she steps closer and puts a hand on his forearm.  
  
“Calm down, Woohyun. We’ll find a solution. For now he has to rest and maybe you can use the time to find the answer to your question. You could ask the oracle for help.”  
  
“Sungjong?” He furrowed his brow. “That little snake will rat me out to Myungsoo in the blink of an eye.”  
  
Chorong rolls her eyes. “Sungjong is obliged to secrecy. Besides, he is the oracle. He probably already knows. What do you have to lose?”  
  
“Well, I could be put in chains as soon as I arrive, get punished and stripped of my powers. All of you will be killed, including him, and then a new water god takes my place – rejoice!”  
  
She laughs and slaps his forearm. “What did I tell you about positive thinking?”  
  
Woohyun smiles. “I don’t know, I wasn’t listening.”  
  
“It will be okay. You don’t have to go. Maybe the problem will resolve on its own.” She leaves the room first, saying that she has to take care of the other priestesses and the novices.  
  
He steps closer to the bed again and stares at the sleeping human. Woohyun knows his action might endanger him and his people, but he doesn’t feel like he did wrong. Something pulls him to the boy. He has never felt a connection like that to another human or even a god. It’s almost like he has found a missing piece of himself and the thought of losing it again is unbearable.  
  
His hand moves on its own and touches the soft hair. His fingers curl inside the light brown locks and the gesture feels familiar. A picture flashes through his mind, short and blurry.

  
  
_They are lying in bed, both naked and their legs entangled. The other man is still asleep next to him and Woohyun smiles softly. His hand strokes the hair of his lover. He says something and the man stirs in his sleep, his eyes slowly opening. They smile at each other and-_

  
  
Woohyun blinks and pulls away. He stares at his hand and then at the human. He can’t remember the face of the second man, but he knows that one of them was himself. He has never had a vision before – or was it a memory? Woohyun can’t remember anything from before his reign. He has always been the water god. He has never wondered what he was before that – how he came into existence. Was he human before he became a god?  
  
He lets out another sigh. His eyes find the sleeping male again, almost hoping that he would wake up like the figure in his vision, but he stays unmoving. Maybe he really has to ask Sungjong, although he doesn’t like the oracle much. Woohyun wants to know why he feels like this, what this all means and even more he wants to know who the human is. He wants to know his name, what he likes or dislikes.  
  
Not to mention how much he wants to slip under the blanket with him and hold him close against his chest before pressing a kiss on his lips.  
  
Woohyun shakes his head and storms out of the room. Maybe he will get better if he puts some distance between them. He knows he can’t be like this – irrational, emotional and most definitely in love with a living human he has never seen before. He has responsibilities and they don’t include falling in love. There are people aiming for his position, just waiting for a sign of weakness – a mistake – to bring him down. They won’t hesitate to destroy everything he holds dear. How can he risk it all for a human?  


 

 

* * *

 

 

  
  
When Sunggyu wakes up, he finds himself in a bed, that isn’t his, in a room, that isn’t his either. The last thing he remembers is getting very drunk with the villagers. He rubs his temples with his thumbs. The headache is killing him and he feels like someone really tried to-  
  
He sits up straight with a gasp. Sunggyu suddenly remembers how they led him to the lake and how he had jumped right into it – as a sacrifice. In panic, he scrambles out of the bed, but he immediately goes back under the blanket, when he noticed the absence of clothes on his body. Sunggyu is close to screaming, but he doesn’t want to alert anyone. He needs time to grasp the situation. His eyes find the white robe close to his bed and Sunggyu chooses to put it on before someone walks in. He is not particularly keen on being seen naked – by whomever.  
  
The young man walks over to the window to look outside. He’s definitely not in the village anymore, because the outside looks nowhere close to it. There’s a huge garden that stretches as far as he can see. It has plants and trees that Sunggyu has never seen or heard of before. The sky above is simply _blue_ \- there are no clouds whatsoever or any shades of white or darker blue. It makes him shiver because something is just _off_ about the sky. It doesn’t look natural.  
  
 _Is this the kingdom of the Water God? Am I dead?_ Sunggyu grinds his teeth. He is angry at the villagers for their deceit and why hadn’t that stupid god just rejected him like the ugly girl?  
  
“Ah, you are awake!” A voice startles him.  
  
Sunggyu turns around quickly and stares at her. She’s wearing a robe like him, but with blue ornaments. Her red hair is bound together to a pony tail that disappears behind her back. Her face is undeniably beautiful and Sunggyu thinks that maybe, if she were in charge here, he would be totally fine with his fate.  
  
She bows her head slightly. “My name is Bom. I’m one priestesses of this temple and I will be your guide for now. You’ll probably need a while to get used to your new home, but when you do, I will have to educate you on how to serve our Master-“  
  
“I’m not going to serve anyone!” Sunggyu interrupts her angrily. “And this is not my new home - wherever this is!”  
  
She looks at him with wide eyes – almost in shock. “This is the realm of the great God of Water, Master Woohyun!”  
  
“I figured that much! I want to go _home_! I’m not going to serve some bloke just because he does a little water magic!”  
  
Now she definitely pales. “B-Bloke? But…I don’t understand. Aren’t you here because you want to be?”  
  
“No!”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
They stare at each other in silence. Bom seems unsure of what to do now. It’s probably the first time she has ever encountered someone not rejoicing over the news. Sunggyu can’t imagine anyone being happy about dying and landing here, but the sacrifices _are_ – in theory – voluntary after all.  
  
“I-I will go get Chorong.” The red-haired priestess blurts out and quickly leaves the room.  
  
Sunggyu puffs his cheeks and sits down on the bed again. He doesn’t have to wait long before the door opens again and Bom returns with another woman by her side. She looks young too, but just the way she walks in gives her a certain aura of authority. “Bomie, why don’t you leave us alone?”  
  
“As you wish, High Priestess.” The red-haired woman says and exits the room again.  
  
Chorong folds her hands and looks at him. “She told me there is some kind of problem here.”  
  
“It can be resolved real quick, just send me back home.”  
  
“You can’t return. You are de- it’s complicated.” She rubs her forehead. “You should have thought about this before making the decision to come here. The pond only works in one direction. We can’t send anyone back.”  
  
He glared at her. “I didn’t come here because I wanted to!”  
  
The brown-haired priestess raises an eyebrow. “The gate won’t open if you’re not willing to offer yourself.”  
  
“I-“ He turns his head away to hide his flustered expression. “I was drunk…they tricked me.”  
  
“I doubt the pond would get tricked by that. It can look deep into the soul of anyone entering it. It wouldn’t let anyone through without a reason.”  
  
“I didn’t have a reason to die! I’m not even religious!” Sunggyu protests loudly. “And I’m sure as hell not going to be a slave for anyone!”  
  
Chorong sighs and steps closer. He gives her a wary look as she sits down next to him on the bed. She puts his hands into hers. “We are not slaves and Woohyun won’t treat us like that. No one will force you to do anything you don’t want, but there are certain rules that we all have to follow. It doesn’t matter why you came to this realm, but now you are here and that means you will have to stay. Just give it some time to see what the place is like, talk to some people and maybe you will come to like it.”  
  
She gives him a hopeful smile, but Sunggyu only averts his gaze. He doubts that he can get used to living here. What kind of living is that even when he is dead? He doesn’t feel dead, but it’s not like Sunggyu has any experience with death. “There is really no way back?”  
  
The priestess seems to hesitate for a moment – long enough for Sunggyu to get a bit suspicious. “No. It’s the first time anyone wants to return.”  
  
“But didn’t you have families or…I don’t know, people that were important to you? Some kind of dreamy you wanted to achieve?”  
  
“In my time, women were not allowed to think about dreams. Every day was war, bloody and cold. When my village got attacked, I offered myself to the water god to save my people. I’ve never regretted it. Everyone here has a past and a reason.” Chorong answers and gives his hands a short squeeze.  
  
Sunggyu retracts his hands and stands up. “Well, I don’t have any reason! I had a dream and it was certainly not _this_!”  
  
He storms out of the room before the high priestess can stop him. She calls after him, but Sunggyu is fast and runs away blindly. He passes more girls on his way. They are all young and all of them wear the robes. They eye him like he’s some freak and some give him angry looks. Sunggyu only glares back as he runs past them. He wants to be alone somewhere – wants to be home.  
  
Somehow he makes it out of the big temple. He follows the only path ahead of him and it leads him past another garden – or is it the same? The white marble path seems almost endless, but Sunggyu can see other buildings soon and then the path goes straight through a big pond. He stops in his steps as he gets closer to the water. The sparkling blue surface makes him dizzy somehow. His body starts to feel heavy as he stumbles closer. Sunggyu wonders if this is the pond that he traveled through. Would he be able to return if he drowns again?  
  
The water seems to call out for him, beckoning closer, whispering into his ears. _I can give you all you want. Come, child, come._ Sunggyu steps closer to the edge of the path and stares into the depth. _You are safe with me. I can bring you home. Come, child._ He lets his body fall forward, waiting for the safe embrace of the water, but just before he touches the surface, someone grabs his collar. Sunggyu can see the water shimmer under the tip of the nose for just a second, before the other person pulls him back to his feet. His legs almost give out under him, but the stranger wraps his arms around him and holds him up. Sunggyu breathes in his scent. The other smells like fresh water and wet moss. Something feels familiar about the scent, but he can’t put his finger on it.  
  
“Are you stupid?” The stranger suddenly shouts and Sunggyu flinches in his arms. “What were you trying to do? Drown yourself?”  
  
He pushes against the strong chest and takes a step back to look at his ‘savior’. He’s just a little taller than him, but he is well-built. His face looks soft compared to the rest of his body. Their eyes meet and Sunggyu feels a spark for a moment. His heart jumps in his chest and the stranger seems just as mesmerized as he is. _He’s a man! What are you doing?!_ Sunggyu snaps out of his trance and quickly covers up his dreamy gaze with a hard glare.  
  
“It’s none of your business!”  
  
The other man seems amused by his reply. “It’s my business because this is _my_ pond. I don’t like corpses in it.”  
  
“Yours? But-“ Sunggyu stares at him with an open mouth. “You are-“  
  
“The great, invincible, irresistible and wise – and whatever else adjective you humans gave me – water god – Woohyun. There’s no need to fall on your knees to kiss my feet. After all this years it has gotten kind of b-“  
  
He lunges at Woohyun before the other can finish. The man seems surprised for a second, but he catches Sunggyu’s wrists before he can land a punch. “You stupid bastard! It’s all your fault!”  
  
He thrashes around, trying to free his arms, but Woohyun doesn’t even budge. “What did you call me?”  
  
“A bastard! Asshole! Murderer!”  
  
Before he knows what is happening, Sunggyu finds himself on the ground. He can only gasp before his head gets pushed into water. Woohyun has a hand on his nape and keeps him from resurfacing. Sunggyu blindly reaches for him with his hands as he struggles to breathe. His heart pounds loudly in his ears and fear takes over his trembling body. It’s just like before, when he was drowning in the lake. Sunggyu digs his nails into Woohyun’s arm, silently begging him to let go.  
  
His consciousness is about to slip away when the hand pulls his head out of the water again. Sunggyu coughs out the water he swallowed and gasps for air. Tears sting his eyes. He barely notices that someone has joined them.  
  
“So you drown him in return? Woohyun! You are not a 5-year-old!” Sunggyu glances up tiredly and sees the high priestess from before.  
  
“This is my realm! He will pay me respect like anyone else!” Woohyun retorts with a red face of anger.  
  
“And trying to kill him is going to get you any respect?” She scolds him fearlessly.  
  
The water god scowls and Chorong turns to Sunggyu. She holds out a hand to him, but he slaps it away and stands up on his own. “I don’t need your help!”  
  
“Yah, you ungrateful bastard!” Woohyun snaps at him.  
  
He only glares back. “What? Are you going to push me under water again? If you want me to drown, you shouldn’t have saved me in the first place!”  
  
Woohyun almost seems hurt for a moment. “Don’t be melodramatic! If not for me, you would’ve died coming here like everyone else! Instead of a simple thank you, you try to throw away your life and you are rude to me and my people.”  
  
 _Would’ve died? My life?_ “I…I’m not…?”  
  
His question is nothing but a whisper. The god points his finger at him. “Yes, you are alive, but I regret saving you. My actions have endangered everyone here and for what? For an ungrateful brat. Why did you even come here, boy?”  
  
He takes off before Sunggyu can answer. Although he shouldn’t care, Woohyun’s words hurt him. It feels as if his heart got torn apart. He wants to shout after him that he didn't ask for his help, that he didn’t ask to come here, but the words get stuck in his throat. Sunggyu stares at his feet in silence. He should be happy that he’s still alive, but now he just feels empty.  
  
A small hand touches his shoulder. “Don’t be angry at him. He saved you.”  
  
He bites his lower lip. “Of what use is it if I can’t return home?”  
  
A slap hits his cheek and Sunggyu looks at Chorong with wide eyes. She opens her mouth, to speak but then she only sighs and shakes her head. “You have a lot to deal with at the moment. Right now you are focused on your anger and blind to everything else. I will give you some time to think about everything. You can walk around the place, but don’t go to the pond again. It’s dangerous for you.”  
  
She leaves him alone as well and Sunggyu stares at his reflection in the water. He realizes why his comment hurt Chorong. She died to come here, just like the other women. But was being alive something to be jealous of when he was stuck here like everyone else? Sunggyu lets out a sigh and turns his gaze away from the pond. He decides to go somewhere else before the water can start calling him again.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
  
She finds Woohyun at the edge of their realm. There’s a small beach and ahead of them is only water. “What was that?”  
  
The water god kicks the sand angrily. “What do you mean?”  
  
Chorong rolls her eyes. “It’s not like you to snap like that.”  
  
“You know I have a bad temper…”  
  
“Not that bad.” She sits down next to him in the sand. “I thought there is some special connection between you two. Where did all the tenderness go that I saw in your eyes before?”  
  
“It disappeared when he opened his fucking mouth.” Woohyun growled.  
  
“But you were angry because of something else, weren’t you? The other gods have called you worse things before.”  
  
He gives her a short glare. Woohyun wonders why she knows him so well, but then again, they have known each other for a very long time. “I just…when I saw him almost falling into the pond, I got so scared. I immediately pulled him back and god, Chorong, you don’t know what it felt like to have him in my arms. It felt like someone else was controlling my body again. I wanted to kiss him so bad and I didn’t know how else to stop myself – so I turned to the anger and shouted at him.”  
  
“Woohyun…”  
  
“I know. I’m stupid, but then he got angry too and I just couldn’t stop myself. I’m scared of this – whatever it is – and I thought it might be better if we are not close. The boy and I, I mean. When he’s afraid or angry, he will hopefully stay away from me. It seems like I’m the only one affected by this anyways.”  
  
She strokes his back slowly. “Woohyun, he told me he didn’t want to come here. That’s why he is so angry – and probably scared. I don’t think he came here out of his free will.”  
  
He stares at her. “But the pond…the water gate, it won’t let anyone pass-“  
  
“-who doesn’t want to pass. I know, but maybe someone – or something – made him come here.”  
  
“There is no one who can temper with the gates.” Woohyun retorts with a scowl.  
  
“Fate could.”  
  
“That’s impossible.”  
  
“Is it? What about the connection that you feel to him? A human enters the realm against his will and he gets saved from death by the water god himself, who oddly enough falls for him immediately. What else would you call this but fate?” She looks over to the seemingly endless ocean again, a smile stretching along her lips.  
  
Woohyun shudders. Although he is a god, he still has as much control over his destiny as any human. Fate decides what will happen to them. Why would it suddenly bring the human boy to him? Why now? Is his reign destined to end now?  
  
“You know that you can’t run from your fate. If the boy and you are meant for each other-“  
  
“We are not and I didn’t fall for that rude kid, just to make that clear!” Woohyun replies.  
  
Chorong laughs and stands up again. “Don’t be a stubborn idiot and push him away.”  
  
“Aren’t you afraid of what might happen if we keep him here?”  
  
The high priestess smiles warmly. “I only care for your happiness, _Master_. The burden of being a god is heavy and exhausting. You do so much and never ask for anything in return. The least I can do now is support you. I doubt that fate brought him here to get you killed.”  
  
She leaves him alone again and he watches her retreating back until she has disappeared.  Woohyun turns his head around again and almost lets out a surprise shout, because he finds himself in another vision. He can see himself sitting at a beach, but he is wearing different clothes this time. The brown-haired man is next to him again just like in the last vision and this time he’s sure that it’s the human he has saved, although he seems slightly older.

  
  
_They stare at the setting sun. The older man inches closer to him, their fingers touch in the sand and the air around them is heavy with unspoken words. Their hands intertwine automatically and the comforting warmth makes Woohyun sigh.  
  
“Woohyun.” The voice makes his insides tingle. It’s so close to his ear and so tempting, but he keeps his gaze on the sundown.  
  
Something wet touches his ear and he jerks. “Sunggyu!”  
  
The older man laughs and pushes Woohyun to the side. He falls over and Sunggyu straddles him. “Why don’t we have some fun before we return to the ship? It’s the last time we will be completely alone. The crew will always watch us on the ship, but right now, here, we are all alone. Just you and me, Captain.”  
  
Woohyun thinks his lover looks absolutely mesmerizing in the light of the setting sun. It doesn’t need much more convincing. He pulls Sunggyu flush against his chest and their lips meet for a hungry kiss._

 

  
Just like that the vision is gone again. It leaves Woohyun hanging in the air, empty and hot inside. But as the vision slowly fades from his memory, he holds on to one thought: his name is Sunggyu. He is certain of it. The name just clicks with the face and it wakes all kind of feelings in Woohyun’s chest. He doesn’t know what this is between them or what the visions mean, but there definitely is something and it doesn’t seem like he can run from it. Maybe there is no other choice but to ask the oracle for help.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

A priestess finds Sunggyu hiding in one of the trees when it’s time for dinner. He doesn’t ask how she found him and she doesn’t say anything else either. Just that it is time to eat and that Chorong has ordered her to get him. She doesn’t introduce herself and all the way, Sunggyu feels like she is glaring at him, although she never looks back. He wonders if they even have to eat. Sunggyu sure as hell is hungry, but as he now knows he is still very much alive. But the other people seem to have the need to eat too.  
  
They all sit in a huge hall and Sunggyu is surprised by how many white robes he can count. So many people that died to come here – for whatever reason, but they came here because they chose to. He feels heavy gazes on him as soon as he enters the hall. Sunggyu can see some of the girls whispering and/or staring at him. His guide leaves him alone without another word. The young man looks around for help, but no one is moving to stand up and explain to him. Sunggyu looks around and finally spots the corner where food is given out. He walks over to get his share. It’s a bowl of soup. Although he doesn’t know what’s inside, it smells pretty good, so it can’t be that bad. He looks around for a free seat and finds one at a table full of women.  
  
As soon as he gets close though, they all stand up and walk away without even glancing at him. Sunggyu blinks and stares at them as they sit down somewhere else. He lets out a huff and sits down at the now empty table. _Maybe they are afraid of men._ Sunggyu feels more stares on him now, but he tries to ignore them and concentrates on eating instead. Halfway through someone sits down at his table and he looks up in surprise. The girl looks younger than him and the older women all seem to shift their glares to her now.  
  
She gives him a smile. “Don’t mind them. They are just jealous – or afraid. I’m Eunji.”  
  
“Sunggyu.” He replies with a short smile. “Jealous because I’m alive and afraid because I’m male?”  
  
Eunji shakes her head. “Jealous because it was Woohyun who saved you. You probably don’t know how risky it is what he has done. He broke a rule by saving your life and many are afraid what will happen to this place now.”  
  
He stares at her. The knowledge that Woohyun may have done something bad for him makes him kind of anxious. “What kind of rule? Why is it bad?”  
  
“It’s forbidden to bring living humans into the realm of the gods. I don’t know why, but it’s a rule that every god has to follow. And just like in the human world, it doesn’t go unpunished when you break the rules. Woohyun could lose everything, his status as a god, this land and we…we would die - for real this time.”  
  
“B-But why risk it…for me?” Sunggyu asks in confusion.  
  
Eunji gives him a sad smile. “Indeed, that is the question. Not to mention that the rumor is going around, that you didn’t even want to come here.”  
  
And he suddenly understands why everyone is avoiding him, why they are staring or glaring at him. Woohyun has put all of their lives at stake, for a human that no one knows, a guy that didn’t offer himself for a reason. They are afraid of losing their home because of someone who doesn’t even care. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“So it’s true, huh. You didn’t come here willingly.”  
  
He nods slowly. “I- The villagers got me drunk, because it was my birthday. When I couldn’t tell left from right anymore, they brought me to the lake and yeah…”  
  
“Why you though? Your village must have had a girl or two.”  
  
Sunggyu snorts. “No more virgins apparently.”  
  
Eunji laughs all of a sudden. “That means you are a virgin?”  
  
He blushes. “What’s so funny about that? All of you are virgins!”  
  
“Not anymore.” She winks at him playfully. “Though I wouldn’t have minded losing my virginity to you.”  
  
Sunggyu clears his throat and looks back to the content of his bowl. “So Woohyun slept with all of you? What is this – his harem?”  
  
Another laugh. “Holy Spirits, no! Woohyun hasn’t slept with any of us, except for maybe Chorong. We are like his little sisters to him, that’s what he always says. Sometimes we get to meet with the servants of the other gods and well, things happen.”  
  
He feels relieved at the news that Woohyun isn’t sleeping with all the girls that live here, though Sunggyu doesn’t know why he feels that way. He hates that bloke! It’s all Woohyun’s fault that sacrifices even have to be made. Without this crap, Sunggyu wouldn’t be here and no one else either.  
  
“What does he even need so many servants for? Does it feed his ego to have so many girls around?”  
  
Eunji smiles at him. “Well, living here is pretty boring when you are all alone. But I think nowadays he’s actually annoyed that the village keeps on sending him sacrifices whenever something bad happens. Sometimes he just slips on a piece of soap and hits his head, which results in rain and hail for days. The villagers panic and _swoosh!_ The next sacrifice is here.”  
  
“Isn’t that stupid for you too? When you come here for nothing?”  
  
She shrugs. “It’s not for nothing. We didn’t come out of fear. We came because we wanted to go. It’s beautiful here and the people are nice. There are no sicknesses, we don’t age – it’s nice.”  
  
He hums quietly. What about  him though? Won’t he age because he is still alive? Sunggyu finishes the rest of his soup with worries weighting heavy on his shoulders. Eunji eventually shows him back to his quarters, so he won’t get lost. He is happy that he has found another person that doesn’t treat him coldly. She seems like a nice girl and he has learned a lot about this place from her already.  
  
Sunggyu lies down on his bed with a sigh. The sky outside has become dark, but there are no stars or a moon to be seen. It feels a bit empty, just like the sky during the day. He wraps the blanket around himself and closes his eyes. He has slept alone in bed for a long time, but for some reason it feels especially lonely today. Woohyun’s face pops up in his mind and Sunggyu jerks. _Go away! I hate you!_  
  
 _“I regret saving you!”_  
  
He groans and presses his hands over his ears. The words still hurt.  Sunggyu remembers the moment he had sunk deeper and deeper, his limbs slowly getting heavier while he lost consciousness, the fear, the helplessness – but then he had felt strangely safe and at peace, as if someone were holding him in his arms and protecting him from the darkness.  
  
Sunggyu’s eyes snap open again and he stares at the ceiling. He puts a hand over his heart, feeling the fluttering heartbeat beneath his fingers. “Woohyun…why do you make me feel like this?”  


 

 

* * *

 

 

  
  
Eunji wakes him up in the morning and takes him to the big hall again for breakfast. She’s still the only one treating him nicely, but Bom and Chorong join them at their table this time. The high priestess informs him of the daily duties novices have to do in this place. He is a novice too, because he hasn’t been here for very long. Sunggyu doesn’t really care anyways, because he still doesn’t want to stay. He is out of place here between all the females. It should be heaven for any man, but most of the women hate him and there is a shadow looming over him because his existence is a threat to this place.  
  
Chorong tells him that it’s okay for him to take it slow. He doesn’t have to start working if he is not ready for it. Sunggyu doesn’t know if he will ever be ready. He just wants to go home. Eunji offers to show him around after they are done eating, but Sunggyu rejects her offer. He goes to explore the place on his own instead. The garden is big, stretching over the whole estate. The presence of water seems to be everywhere with rivers, fountains or – to Sunggyu’s dismay – sudden rain showers in some areas. It’s a beautiful place, far better than the village he is from, but Sunggyu feels lost here. He feels alone, probably because he is the only human here and the only one that didn’t voluntarily come here. Eunji is nice and Chorong feels like a motherly figure, but they are too different from him.  
  
Sunggyu snaps out of his thoughts when he steps out of the garden. He finds himself between houses suddenly, familiar looking buildings. He blinks and looks back. The garden is still behind him and he feels like the trees are whispering to him, asking him to come back immediately. Sunggyu turns his head again and eyes the houses. His feet automatically move and the young man ventures through the new place. He doesn’t need long to recognize his own village, but there is not a soul here. It’s quiet, an almost dead silence if not for his footsteps. The atmosphere is eery, but his curiosity takes him up to his home.  
  
It’s as empty as the rest of the village, but Sunggyu finds it in the way he still remembers. His empty cup is standing right where he left it. _Am I back? Is this …my world? But why is no one here?_  
  
“This is not your home.” Sunggyu turns his head in shock and finds a woman at his doorsteps. Her clothes are pretty revealing compared to that of Woohyun’s servants. She smiles at him, but it sends a shiver down his spine instead of calming him. “But I could bring you home if you want to.”  
  
The temptation to accept her offer is big, but Sunggyu is careful. “Who are you? Why would you help me?”  
  
“The name is Hyuna. I’m a goddess from a different realm.” She introduces herself and steps into the house slowly. “I want to help you because I don’t want a human to die, just because Woohyun was silly enough to make that mistake. The old ones will not leave you alone if you are found. You are lucky that they haven’t caught you yet. Drowning will seem like a walk in the park compared to what they will do to you. If you die here, your soul won’t be able to ever reincarnate.”  
  
He shudders at her words and licks his lips nervously. “But how? Chorong says it is impossible for me to return through the pond.”  
  
She laughs. “Chorong is nothing but a servant. She knows nothing. Gods can step through the gates in both directions. You can pass through the gate if you trick it into thinking that you are a god.”  
  
Sunggyu frowns. “Isn’t it impossible to trick it? Ch-“  
  
“How did you get here? Didn’t you pass the gate despite not wanting to go? The gates are not perfect. They can be tricked. Are you going to believe a nobody like her or a goddess like me? Do you think she wants you to live? You are a danger to her and the people she cares for. None of those pretty priestesses will help you, when the old ones catch you and they will, trust me. They would be thankful to anyone killing you, before the old gods find out about Woohyun’s involvement.”  
  
His fingers tremble and Sunggyu clenches his fists, trying to hide his fear. She is probably right. He doesn’t think anyone would help him. They hate him because he is a threat to their peaceful life. No one would care if he dies. “How can I trick the pond into thinking I’m a god?”  
  
Hyuna smiles and steps in front of him. She pulls a little vial out. The liquid inside is clear, but of a slight rosy color. “Drink this before entering the pond, but be careful that no one sees it. It’s a magical potion and I probably don’t have to explain to you that its use is forbidden. The effect will wear off after a short amount of time, so you will return to being a normal human later.”  
  
She puts it into his hands. Sunggyu turns the vial in his fingers. “Isn’t this dangerous for you? Helping me, I mean.”  
  
Hyuna laughs again. “The old ones hate me anyways. I’m a troublemaker. One more crime on my list won’t make a difference. Can’t let a cute little human die here.”  
  
The goddess winks at him and strokes his cheek slowly with a finger. Sunggyu feels his cheeks grow warm. “Thank you.”  
  
She smiles. “No need to thank me. Now go, before Woohyun notices that your presence is gone.”

And then she is gone as sudden as she came. Sunggyu stares at the vial once more, before he heads out of his house. He still thinks it’s a little weird that a goddess would want to help him, when the others tell him there is no way back, but he has no way of knowing who is lying. Knowing that someone is out to kill him – erase his very existence in this world – is frightening him and Sunggyu knows he doesn’t have much time to think. He needs to leave this world or he will die.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Woohyun doesn’t like visiting the oracle. There are several reasons. One of them being that the oracle knows everything. It knows more about you than you know yourself. No one can hide a secret from the oracle and although it is sworn to secrecy, no one would ever anger it and risk their secrets being revealed. The second reason – and probably the biggest – is that the oracle is Sungjong. He’s a nasty little fellow. Sungjong is clever and whoever makes the mistake of underestimating him won’t live very long. Woohyun knew the oracle that was in charge before Sungjong and she was a saint compared to him. The boy may seem young and inexperienced, but in the few hundred years of his work as an oracle, he has found a lot of loopholes in the rules that had been imposed on him. It’s no secret anymore that Sungjong has his ways to tell someone your secrets. That’s why no one dares to threaten him or ruin his mood. He may not be able to fight a war, but his words can cut you down before you can lift your sword.  
  
Another reason for why the oracle is dangerous would be Myungsoo. He is the god of war, strong, fast and intelligent. It’s like they were made for each other with their dark, twisted minds. Their alliance is not a secret either and neither is the fact that they share a bed with each other every once in a while. If Sungjong can’t find a way to shut you up, then Myungsoo will. They are a dangerous combination and Woohyun likes to keep away from them. He’s not one of the weaker, lower gods, but Myungsoo is a force to be reckoned with, especially with an oracle pulling the strings.  
  
He steps into the smaller temple and Woohyun is not surprised to find Sungjong in front of his altar, waiting for him with a bored expression. “You have kept me waiting. I thought you would come faster.”  
  
“Couldn’t foresee when I would come, huh?” Woohyun replies dryly.  
  
The boy glares at him. “I knew you would come and I know why you are here. Can’t say I’m happy to see you though.”  
  
“Same here.”  
  
Sungjong sits down on one of the stairs and crosses his legs with a smirk. “Now what has the great Woohyun to ask of me?”  
  
“I thought you knew.” Woohyun growls.  
  
“I want to hear it from your mouth, you know. It’s not any day that I can have you at my feet, begging for my help like a dog.” The oracle chuckles.  
  
He glares at the younger. “You know what? Let’s just forget I ever came here.”  
  
Woohyun turns around to walk away, but Sungjong’s voice stops him. “Stop right there. You’re no fun, seriously.”  
  
He turns his head. The boy is standing again, staring at him with a cold gaze. “It seems like you will stop at nothing to save your pride. Haven’t enough people died because of your pride already? How many more, Woohyun? How many lives until you’re satisfied?”  
  
The water god clenches his fists. The words hit him right where it hurts, but it’s no wonder because he is facing the oracle after all. Woohyun swallows. “ _Please_ give me your guidance, oracle.”  
  
Sungjong raises an eyebrow and Woohyun goes to his knees with a scowl. “That’s better, Woohyun. If only the other gods could see how far you are going for some puny human.”  
  
He stands up again. “That’s enough! Tell me about the boy! Why is he here and why is there some kind of connection between us?”  
  
“Hmm…where to start?” Sungjong giggles and dances over to his altar. There is a big bowl filled with water. Woohyun can feel a connection to it, but with his powers he cannot use it. Only the oracle can see into their fates through the blessed water.  
  
The boy turns to him again. “There are other worlds out there, Woohyun. Millions of different universes, so different and yet the same, all connected by the force we call fate. In every single one there is another you, another me, even another Sunggyu and so on. We exist in different places at the same time without ever knowing what our fate is somewhere else. Are we a king? Are we assassins? We don’t know. Even I can’t see past this border. It’s shrouded in mist and only fate has the power to play with these worlds. It decides who we are going to be, who we will love and how we will die. But you and Sunggyu, you are connected through all the different universes. I can see a red threat connecting all of your lives like a spider web. Your destinies are bound together in every single universe. Only fate has that power.”  
  
“So we are destined to be together?” Woohyun asks. Sungjong’s words actually give him hope and in his heart he feels that his words are true. Sunggyu and he, they are bound together by a strong force and they won’t be able to escape from it.  
  
“No.” Sungjong gives him a stern look and the god feels his heart drop. “It’s not a fortune that fate has bestowed on you. It’s a curse. You are destined to find each other, in every world, again and again, throughout the times, but you are to never be together. You will never have a happy ending – _anywhere_. You will fall for each other no matter what you do and the curse dooms Sunggyu to die if you are happy together. Fate has decided your destiny to be a sad one. I actually feel a little bad for you there.”  
  
“ Sunggyu…why?” He is terrified by the possibility of Sunggyu dying. How can this be their fate? To never have a happy ending together…  
  
The oracle shrugs. “I don’t know. This curse is stronger than all the gods, but that my _friend_ is what we call ‘fate’. You can’t defy it. If you continue to stay with Sunggyu, he will die and with that I don’t mean that he will hop around here like your little harem does. He will disappear in this world. You won’t get another chance, at least not in this universe.”  
  
“B-But a curse? I’ve never done anything wrong.” Woohyun defends himself.  
  
“Maybe not the ‘you’ here, but at some point another you made a mistake, somewhere, sometime, and fate was seemingly so pissed that you’re now doomed to unhappiness until the end of everything. Believe me, I’m curious to what could make fate so angry and I would tell you if I knew.”  
  
He stares at  the younger, trying to find out if he is speaking the truth or not. They are not friends and Sungjong is not obliged to help him, but what would he gain by telling this lie? Except for making Woohyun anxious, but the worst he could do is tell the old ones. They wouldn’t rest before Sunggyu disappears. Just the thought of losing him breaks Woohyun’s heart. He doesn’t know what he did wrong in the past, but he won’t let Sunggyu die.  
  
“Is there a way to break the curse? I can’t avoid Sunggyu for long because he living in my realm and I know of no way to send him back.” Woohyun asks the oracle.  
  
Sungjong smirks and the water god braces himself for his answer. “There is but one way. You won’t believe me if I tell you though.”  
  
“What? What is it? Speak!”  
  
The oracle clicks his tongue. “Forgetting your manners again, Woohyun?”  
  
“I don’t have time for this!”  
  
“You have to die. That’s all.” Sungjong speaks with a smile.  
  
Woohyun laughs out loud. “Yeah, right, how convenient for you.”  
  
The boy snickers. “True, the thought of ridding me of your annoying presence fills me with joy. Maybe fate likes me after all, but anyways, I’m speaking the truth. If you die first instead of Sunggyu, then a paradox occurs and the curse gets broken. I can show you proof of the curse. Maybe it will be easier for you to believe me then.”  
  
He raises an eyebrow. “How? Who do I have to kill now?”  
  
“No one.” Sungjong answers and points at the bowl. “I grant you one sip from the blessed water. One peek into the web of destinies. You know that whatever you will see, will be the truth. And you will see that my words were true.”  
  
Woohyun stares at the water. Drinking from it is useless without the permission of the oracle. Sungjong is right to say that whatever he will see will be the truth. It can’t lie or be deceived. He is slightly scared of looking though. People have gone insane from seeing visions, unable to tell past from future, reality from dream. No living being is supposed to look into this realm that only fate may enter. Only the oracle has the power to peek inside. But while a god is in power for several thousands of years, the oracle often changes after a few hundred years, because no one can handle the strain for long. Maybe even Sungjong would get lost in the threats of fates someday and leave his mind behind.  
  
But he has to try – for Sunggyu. He needs the truth. “I’ll do it. But don’t you dare try anything funny.”  
  
Sungjong raises his hands in defense. “I’m an honest citizen.”  
  
He scoops some water with his hands and signs Woohyun to open his mouth. The water god groans and sits down on his knees again. He opens his mouth and the oracle lets the water fall from his fingers. It’s not much, but Woohyun can taste the magic on his tongue. Sungjong smiles at him and starts whispering words in language that Woohyun can’t understand. He stares at him for a while, wondering why nothing happens, but then he’s out like a light from one moment to the next, falling dead to the side.  
  
  
 _Woohyun is at the hospital, sitting by the side of Sunggyu’s bed. He’s holding the weak hand in his. He wishes he could transfer his strength to Sunggyu, just make him live one more hour or a day. The black-haired man looks at him with glazed eyes. “ Woohyun, I’m so tired.”  
  
“I know, love, but try to stay awake, okay?”  
  
“Remember that I love you.” Sunggyu tells him, his voice hoarse and nothing but a whisper.  
  
He squeezes the hand harder. “You can tell me yourself, every day. We’ll get through this.”  
  
“I’ll find you again…” The other man says and then his eyes fall closed. His hand goes limb in Woohyun’s but he refuses to let go of it._

 

 

_“ Woohyun! Look out!”  
  
He turns his head just in time to see another attacker coming at him with his sword. Woohyun dodges the attack and rams his sword into the sailor. When he pulls the weapon out again, the man falls to the ground with a thud. Woohyun scans the ship again and sees that his men are slowly defeating all the enemies. He smiles triumphantly. “Tonight we will dine like the kings! Chase those bastards from the ship!”  
  
The pirate crew roars and Woohyun can see their weakened spirits firing up again.  
  
“The only ones celebrating tonight will be us, Captain Nam. Say goodbye to your pitiful life!” A voice behind him speaks. Woohyun turns around in shock and sees a pistol pointed at him from across the ship. The other captain gives him a triumphant smile and then he presses the trigger.  
  
The bullet never hits him though, instead a figure jumps in front of him and catches the bullet instead. Woohyun screams the name, his name, his Sunggyu and runs to the pirate’s side. He holds the older man in his arms and watches in shock as the blood taints the woolen shirt red. The stain grows fast and Sunggyu is gasping in his arms, trembling and mouthing words that Woohyun barely catches. He presses his hand on the wound and lets out a loud howl. “You idiot! Don’t die on me! Why did you do this?”  
  
Sunggyu lets out a shaky laugh. “I’m sorry. I’ll have to break my promise.”  
  
Tears slip from his eyes and fall onto the pale face of his lover. “You promised me that I will get your answer after this raid. We said it will be the last one. Just this one more and then we will quit. You can’t leave now!”  
  
The pirate tries to speak but instead blood comes out of his mouth. He coughs violently and Woohyun holds him closer against his chest. “My answer is yes, Nam. Yes, I want to go to some secluded island with you and spent the rest of our lives together. I’m sorry, Wo-Woohyun. I don’t think I can-“  
  
“Don’t say it! I’ll take you there!”  
  
Sunggyu nods slowly and his eyelids flutter close. “I’m going first, Woo, but I’ll wait for you.”_

 

 

_“I can’t believe you are finally engaged!” Chorong tells him with a happy smile. “The party is just perfect, Woohyun. Sunggyu is perfect for you.”  
  
He smiles back happily and glances through the ballroom, trying to find his lover between the dancing people. He sees him with some of the nobles. They are raising their glasses and Sunggyu seems to make a toast. Their eyes meet and Woohyun sees the other raising the glass in his direction before drinking from it. Woohyun smiles and walks over, but he’s not even half-way there, when Sunggyu suddenly collapses and falls to the ground. The glass shatters as it hits the ground.  
  
Woohyun can hear people screaming, but he only has eyes for his other half. He crouches down and takes the other in his arms, weeping and screaming, trying to find a pulse but there is nothing.  
  
Nothing at all.  
  
His Sunggyu is gone._

 

 

Woohyun’s eyes snap open and his fingers immediately go to his face. He can feel the tears rolling down his cheeks and he quickly wipes them away. His heart feels like it got torn into a million pieces after seeing Sunggyu die several times. Woohyun feels like he has just seen hundreds of lifetimes at the same time. Sometimes in worlds that were so different from his, but yet they had all been the same: Sunggyu died in every single one. Woohyun has seen him dying of different illnesses, getting killed by different weapons, being poisoned, killing himself – each death taking a part of Woohyun with it. The curse is real. He can never have a happy end with Sunggyu as long as it’s active – not here, not anywhere else. He feels the pain of all the other Woohyun’s he has seen. The water god knows that it’s up to him to change this destiny. He can’t let it happen again.  
  
Sungjong grins at him. “You should hurry, Woohyun. Time is ticking. Fate has something against you crossing her plan.”  
  
He looks at the oracle, feeling his insides twist. “What do you mean?”  
  
“You leaving your realm gave others the freedom to enter it. Sunggyu is going to die if you don’t hurry.”  
  
The water god jumps to his feet and starts running. Sungjong lets out a laugh behind his back. “Goodbye, Woohyun. I hope you do the right thing.”

  


 

 

* * *

 

 

 

  
Sunggyu sneaks through the garden, careful not to be seen. He isn’t sure where the pond was, but somehow his feet end up leading him right back to the white marble path. He checks for anyone nearby before he leaves the protection of the trees and runs over to the pond. Sunggyu takes the vial out of his pocket and stares at it thoughtfully. He’s suddenly scared. Is he doing the right thing?  
  
“What do I have to lose?”  
  
He opens the vial, but before he can drink it, two hands wrap around his own and stop him. Sunggyu stares at Woohyun with wide eyes. “W-Where did you come from?”  
  
The other man gives him a glare. “I’m still a water god and you are still standing next to a pond. What do you think you are doing now? Didn’t we tell you not go here again?”  
  
Sunggyu’s eyes go to the vial for a moment and Woohyun follows his gaze. The god steals the vial from him and closes it again. He looks at it and mumbles something Sunggyu doesn’t catch. “Give it back!”  
  
Woohyun’s right hand is still around his wrist and the other strengthens his grip, making Sunggyu flinch at the pain. “Who gave this to you?”  
  
“It’s none of your business! Why can’t you just leave me be?!” He spits at Woohyun.  
  
He’s not going to betray Hyuna when she is the only one who tried to help him. Sunggyu averts his gaze and the god pulls at his wrist again. “Ouch! That hurts you know!”  
  
“And you think this doesn’t hurt me?” Woohyun asks and his voice sounds so broken that Sunggyu looks back to him.  
  
He can see tears in the eyes of the mighty water god. His heart clenches at the sight and Sunggyu wonders why the other is crying for him. Why does he care so much? And why does _his_ heart hurt like this because of Woohyun? He unconsciously raises his free hand to wipe the tears away. Their eyes meet and Sunggyu feels the strange pull in his chest again. It feels like an invisible force pulls him closer to Woohyun. Everything else just disappears around him when Woohyun is this  close; his worries, his fear and his anger. It all dissipates and then there is nothing left but the presence of the other and his pounding heart.  
  
“W-Woohyun.”  
  
The older man leans closer and Sunggyu feels himself drown in the sweet aroma that is surrounding the god. He closes his eyes and gives in to the pull in his chest. Their lips meet in a soft kiss. Sunggyu feels his skin prickling all over his body and although he can’t explain this attraction to the other, he can’t deny it either and it feels absolutely right. Woohyun’s lips moving against his makes him feel whole, as if the other man’s lips had always belonged there. He can taste Woohyun’s tears on his lips and Sunggyu tries to erase all traces of them.  
  
Woohyun pulls back again and Sunggyu’s eyes open slowly, as if in trance. They just stare at each other for a while, silent words spoken through their eyes. He can see that the god feels this strange pull just like him. _Is that why you always save me?_ He asks.  
  
 _I’ve always loved you. I love you now and I always will. I won’t let you die._ Woohyun’s eyes answer him.  
  
Woohyun lets go of his wrist and instead puts his arms around Sunggyu’s waist to pull him into his embrace. The young man surrenders to him and leans against the firm chest, his fingers clinging to the blue robe. The bigger hands rub his back slowly and Sunggyu leans his head on Woohyun’s shoulder. “I don’t understand this. Did you use a spell on me?”  
  
The god chuckles. “Something like that. Please don’t try to kill yourself again. I know it sounds weird, but I wouldn’t be able to handle it if you died.”  
  
He sighs. “I wasn’t trying to kill myself. I wanted to go home.”  
  
Woohyun strengthens his hold on him. “That’s poison in the vial, Sunggyu.”  
  
He freezes. _Poison?_ Fear grabs his heart, but the two hands rubbing his back try to calm him down again. He wonders how Woohyun knows his name, but it isn’t that important right now. “Poison? But she said it will help me pass through the mirror…”  
  
“She? Please tell me who gave this to you.” Woohyun looks at him and the younger man can feel his walls crumbling under the strong gaze.  
  
“ Hyuna…she said she is a goddess, She wanted to help me escape, before the old ones can capture me.”  
  
The water god’s expression darkens. His hands slip to Sunggyu’s upper arms and squeeze them lightly. “Don’t talk to her again. Immediately tell me if she ever approaches you again. She is dangerous.”  
  
Sunggyu nods shakily. “Is there really no way back for me then?”  
  
Woohyun cups his face and their eyes meet again. “Can’t you stay, Sunggyu? I won’t let anyone harm you. I know it’s all my fault, but I will make it up to you. Please stay with me.”  
  
He can’t believe that a god is begging him to stay by his side. Woohyun’s hands are warm against his cheeks and his gaze tells Sunggyu that he speaks the truth. He can see the love in them, although it seems irrational to see it there. A god in love with a human. They barely know each other, yet Sunggyu feels like he has known Woohyun for a very long time.  
  
“But everyone hates me…”  
  
Woohyun smiles at him. “They will come to love you, because I love you too. Just give it a try, okay?”  
  
The older man gives him another kiss, short yet sweet and Sunggyu finds himself mumbling a quiet ‘okay’ against his lips. Maybe it is worth a try after all.

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
  
They spent the next weeks together. Woohyun joins them in the hall when it’s time to eat and he gives a Sunggyu a tour around his realm. He shows him where the borders are and tells him not to get to close to them – just in case someone uninvited tries to enter his realm again. Sunggyu ends up liking the beach the most, something he has never seen before. He spends a lot of time with Woohyun there, just sitting in the sand by Woohyun’s side or playing in the water. The god tells him stories from his past to entertain him sometimes and Sunggyu shares his own past too, though it’s nothing in comparison. But Woohyun wants to know everything nevertheless. He can feel that the other genuinely likes him and Sunggyu can’t deny that he feels the same. He has never thought about being with a man, let alone a god, but it feels like the most natural thing in the world.  
  
He gets closer with the other priestesses too. Sunggyu starts to do his duties with them and stops complaining about being stuck in this place. Instead he works hard to show them that he is more than just a nuisance. Some warm up to him after a while, joining him during the meals and sharing their stories with him. Sunggyu can see that all of them love Woohyun a lot, but not in the same way as he does. They respect him as a god and love him as such. They don’t see him as a normal man, except for Chorong maybe. Sunggyu looks up to her a lot because she is wise and respectful, yet she does not hesitate to correct Woohyun when he is at fault. And sometimes they team up to tease the water god.  
  
Weeks become months and Sunggyu feels like he finally belongs here. Most of the women have accepted him and some even treat him like Woohyun now, as if he were of the same status. It’s a bit awkward for him, but the water god tells him that’s fine. Because Sunggyu is his other half and they are one and the same. Sometimes he feels worried though.  
  
There are times when he wakes up at night and finds the other side of the bed empty. Sunggyu has discovered at some point that Woohyun will be in the room next to theirs at times like that. He will find him sitting on a chair with trembling shoulders and his head hung low. Sunggyu never approaches him. He is scared of finding out what could make someone like Woohyun sleepless. Sometimes he hears quiet sobs too and then he goes back to their bed to cry into his pillow, silently and alone like Woohyun does it in the room next-door. He wants to ask what is wrong, but he is afraid, so scared of the answer. So frightened that this dream might end soon.  
  
And it does.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Woohyun tells him that he has to leave the realm on the next day, because there is a drought in the human world and he can’t find the source of it from here. He has to travel to the other world, find the reason and eliminate it – before they send him another sacrifice. When they lie in bed that night, they hug for a long time and Sunggyu can’t explain it, but he feels like this might be the last time they will hug. Woohyun seems to feel the same because it’s hard for him to let go too.  
  
“Everything will be alright. I won’t even be gone for a day.” Woohyun whispers softly and presses a kiss against his jaw.  
  
Sunggyu hums quietly and turns his head a bit to bare his neck to the water god. The older one drops kisses down the skin of his neck and Sunggyu’s finger play with the black locks, gently pulling him closer. Woohyun bites on his skin, nibbles and sucks until he has left a satisfying amount of marks on Sunggyu’s neck and shoulders. The young man wraps his legs around the other and begs him to take him again. Sunggyu is desperate to _feel_ Woohyun. He feels scared of losing him and he needs something to reassure him that Woohyun is still here – and always will be.  
  
They make love several times that night, both desperate and afraid. They fall asleep with their bodies pressed tightly together and Woohyun still inside of him. His chest is against Sunggyu’s back, their legs entangled like ivy and the arms locked as if they were trying to become one.  
  
  
  
Sunggyu wakes up later that night when Woohyun pulls out of him. The movement almost causes him to moan, but he keeps it in. He tries to keep his face calm as Woohyun separates their limbs and climbs out of the bed. Sunggyu only opens his eyes when the other is gone. He sits up and hisses at the pain in his back. The young man bites down on his lower lip and wraps his robe around himself before he follows Woohyun. He is surprised to notice that Woohyun is going somewhere else tonight.  
  
The water god leads him to the pond instead and shortly after, there is Chorong running over to him from the temple. She is out of breath when she reaches him and Sunggyu quickly hides himself so that she won’t see him. “Woohyun, I heard your call. What’s wrong?”  
  
“I’m scared, Chorong.” The god admits and from behind he looks so small, so vulnerable. Sunggyu wants to go over there and hug him, but instead he stays in his hideout. “Ever since I visited Sungjong, I’ve been having these dreams. I can’t turn them off. It’s like I’m still stuck in the vision he showed me…”  
  
The high priestess steps closer to him and puts an arm around him. Sunggyu feels jealous at the sight, although he knows that it’s purely friendship between them now. Woohyun’s sobs are almost inaudible. “I always see him dying, Chorong. In all kind of ways. Whenever I close my eyes, there is only his death and it scares me so much. It’s like a constant reminder that I will lose him soon if I don’t do something.”  
  
“Oh Woohyun…nothing will happen to him. We are all protecting him.”  
  
“You don’t understand, Chorong. I was too stubborn to understand it too, but you can’t escape from fate. This curse will always loom over our heads if I don’t break it. I can feel that there isn’t much time left and I can’t let Sunggyu be the one that dies. Please take care of him after I’m gone.”  
  
Sunggyu jumps out of the bushes and runs towards him. “What do you mean _‘after I’m gone’_? Don’t decide those things behind my back!”  
  
Woohyun looks at him and he doesn’t even seem surprised to see him there. The water god smiles at him and Sunggyu runs faster, his guts twisting inside. “I’m going first, Gyu, but I’ll find you again - I promise.”  
  
He stretches his hands out to grab the other, but Woohyun disappears under the tips of his fingers. His hands try to grasp the water drops that fall to the ground, but they slip through his fingers. Sunggyu falls to his knees and Chorong crouches down to hug him. “No…Woohyun. No! Where did he go? Chorong, we have to follow him!”  
  
He looks at the priestess in panic. For the first time, he sees her crying. “We can’t. He went to the human world. I didn’t know he was planning to go, Sunggyu. I didn’t know…”  
  
“He’ll come back, right? He just went to fix the drought!” Sunggyu shouts loudly and looks into the pond frantically, trying to catch a glimpse of Woohyun.  
  
Chorong stays silent and he starts to shake her. The high priestess only hugs him stronger. She strokes his head and Sunggyu cries into her chest. “He’s not going to die. He will not die, Chorong.”  
  
“I’m so sorry, dear.” She whispers and then it starts to rain suddenly.  
  
Sunggyu can hear thunder in the sky and they look up. The sky is dark and the raindrops feel like tears. Like the sky is crying because of a big loss. Chorong lets go of him to bury her face into her hands. “He’s gone, Sunggyu.”  
  
He shakes his head in denial and Sunggyu starts running towards the garden. He enters the forest, ignoring the branches that slap against his skin, leaving scratches that burn and sting. The rain is everywhere and he slips more than once on the wet ground, but Sunggyu keeps running like a madman. He only has one destination in mind.  
  
  
  
Sunggyu’s body breaks through the scrub and he looks around while panting heavily. The village is not there unlike last time, just a seemingly endless desert of black sand. “Hyuna!”  
  
His shouts ring through the air and Sunggyu takes a step further. There is no rain here. There is literally nothing. It’s as empty as he feels inside. “HYUNA!”  
  
He blinks and suddenly Sunggyu finds himself sitting in his cottage. Hyuna is sitting on the other side of the table with a cup in her hands. “Why are you being so loud? I was just enjoying a fresh cup of tea.”  
  
The young man blinks again and stares at her helplessly. He doesn’t even know why he came here to ask for her help or why he even knew that he would find her here. He feels at  loss of what to do without Woohyun. Sunggyu feels like he has just lost his own heart. “W-Woohyun, he…”  
  
She shrugs. “Can’t say I feel bad about that. The poison was meant for him anyways, though it was sort of a gamble if he would take it or let you die. _Again_.”  
  
Sunggyu feels his insides turn cold. He stares at her in anger. “The poison? What do you mean?”  
  
“Oh, poor Sunggyu, always the clueless one. He didn’t tell you, but it was to protect you. He took the vial from you back when he stopped you at the pond, right? Woohyun kept it with him all the time, as a reminder that death is always close to you. I knew he would keep it, but to be honest, I didn’t expect him to drink the poison. He has never done that before.” Hyuna takes a sip of her tea while staring at him. “He can only die in the human world. So he took the poison there and _puff_ , he’s dead. Just like that.”  
  
“You…who are you?” He asks anxiously.  
  
“That, dear Sunggyu, is a good question. The first good question you’ve asked me in a long time.”  
  
Sunggyu frowns and the woman laughs. She puts down her cup and it disappears as soon as she lets go. “I’m the one that cursed you two. Before you judge me, Woohyun broke something of mine in the past – something terribly, _terribly_ important to not only  me but everything that is part of the creation; something that cannot be repaired – and I couldn’t let him go like that. I cursed your fate. You two would always find each other, no matter in which universe, but you would never find happiness together. I wanted Woohyun to learn a lesson and feel the weight of his sin, so I made it that you would always die when you found each other.”  
  
 _So that’s what Woohyun has always been carrying around with him. Why didn’t he tell me? Why?_ Sunggyu feels new tears forming in his eyes. It’s his entire fault that Woohyun is dead. He should’ve died instead.  
  
“This place here is special. I made it.” Hyuna announces and then the cottage and the village are gone again. Instead they are at a place that he doesn’t recognize.  
  
When he looks at her again, her appearance has changed to that of a boy. “How do I look like this? I call him Sungjong. I made him the oracle.”  
  
She - or he – giggles. “As if I would let someone take a look at my work. There is no one but me who can see the fates of people. I just gave this chess piece a tiny bit of my power, so he can serve his purpose.”  
  
Sunggyu swallows and then she shifts again. His eyes widen and he gasps. Chorong smiles at him. “She’s my favorite. Always this close to Woohyun, but he never noticed she isn’t real.”  
  
“Don’t speak about him with her voice!” He snaps and lunges at her, but something invisible hits him and Sunggyu flies against the wall. He yelps in pain as he slides to the ground.  
  
She turns back into Hyuna. “Chorong is nothing but an illusion. Just like Eunji or Myungsoo or anyone else Woohyun ever met here.”  
  
Sunggyu stares at her. “No, she’s real! I talked with her. She-“  
  
“She doesn’t exist.” Hyuna interrupts him and then the surroundings change again.  
  
They are back at the pond this time. She steps closer to the water and stares into it. The smile is gone from her lips and she seems to be deep in thought. There is a strange warmness in her voice as she speaks again. “I made this world and trapped Woohyun here, the _real_ Woohyun I mean. Just like you are the only real Sunggyu of this world. I  trapped both of you in this time loop, not out of cruelty, but to give Woohyun a chance to break the curse. He has had a lot of tries, believe me, but this is the first time he took the poison. It’s the first time he chose death over losing you.”  
  
She looks at him, but this time he doesn’t feel the need to shudder. Hyuna’s gaze is kind now. “But it’s a bit stupid of him, isn’t it? He left you all alone.”  
  
Sunggyu glances at the pond with teary eyes. “How can I be happy without him?”  
  
“Indeed. It’s like chopsticks without a spoon, a thread without a needle, a kite without a string.” Hyuna crouches down next to him and she puts one of her hands into the water.  
  
Sunggyu looks at her questioningly, not really understanding what she said. She chuckles suddenly. “Oh forget that. It doesn’t belong to a memory of this world. Say, Sunggyu, how do you think this should end?”  
  
He blinks. “Eh?”  
  
“The loop is broken. You can go back to your home and live your life like everyone else. You won’t get your happy ending with Woohyun, but there are other fishes in the sea and maybe it will help to know that you two will be happy in other worlds.”  
  
“Or?”  
  
Hyuna’s eyes twinkle. “You tell me.”  
  
Sunggyu feels a seed of hope growing in his chest. “You could show mercy once again and bring him back to me.”  
  
“Oh? You don’t think I’m cruel for doing all of this to you? For destroying so many of your destinies?” She looks at him with open surprise.  
  
Sunggyu manages a weak smile. “What Woohyun went through was cruel, but you also showed mercy when you gave him a chance to break the circle. You could’ve just let him suffer until forever.”  
  
She pulls her hand out of the water again and stands up. “Mercy, love, hate…those are not feelings I have. I don’t have a heart that could grant me such emotions, but I’m thanking you for seeing me that way. I’m simply _fate_. I observe and I weave the threats that connect everything in existence. I’m the puppeteer and like any good entertainer, I enjoy a happy ending. Stand up, Sunggyu.”  
  
He does as told.  Sunggyu looks at her in anticipation. “Does that mean you will…?”  
  
“I will try this concept of ‘mercy’ you apparently saw in me. I guess Woohyun deserves a reward for doing the right thing for once. If I had feelings, I would tell you that I feel genuinely bad for involving you in this. It’s all that idiots fault that you had to die all the time. Such a pity for a cute boy, really.” She winks at him and Sunggyu smiles.  
  
“I understand.”  
  
“Oh right, I will have to take your memories of everything that has happened you, but don’t worry. You will find each other again.” She gives him a shove and Sunggyu stumbles backwards into the pond. The last thing he sees is her smile. “It’s your destiny after all.”  


 

 

* * *

 

 

  
  
Sunggyu wakes up with a gasp. He looks around in panic, his heart throbbing wildly in his chest. He relaxes a bit when he realizes that everything is alright with his home. “I feel like I had a bad nightmare…but I can’t remember. Ugh, what a bad way to start my birthday.”  
  
There are sudden knocks on his door and Sunggyu groans. “Sunggyu, quick! Open the door!”  
  
He climbs out of his bed and stumbles towards the door. He opens it with a blank face, surprised to see some of the village guys in front of his house. _Are they here to congratulate me this early?_ “You have to come to the lake with us! Something has happened!”  
  
One of them grabs his wrist and drags him out of his house.  Sunggyu starts protesting. “At least let me put on proper clothes!”  
  
“No, we have to hurry!”  
  
They run all the way to the lake and Sunggyu sincerely hopes that this is all for a giant birthday surprise and not because someone found a dead snake or something. They reach their destination and when he sees a body lying near the lake, Sunggyu stops in his tracks. _A corpse?!_  
  
“We found him not too long ago. It seems like he was washed ashore.” One of the guys says with a wide smile.  
  
“He hasn’t moved at all since then.” Another one adds.  
  
The third one snickers. “Maybe the water god brought him here as a present for your birthday!”  
  
“Are you crazy? What if he’s dead or injured? You should have  gotten the doctor not me!” He scolds them with a hard glare. They seem to get the message though and quickly run away to get the healer.  
  
Sunggyu steps closer to look at the stranger. He feels a weird pull in his chest when he looks at the unconscious man – or boy; he looks about the same age as Sunggyu. He steps closer and stares at the other. Sunggyu crouches down and reaches out to touch him, but then the stranger opens his eyes suddenly. They look at each other and Sunggyu feels like the other’s gaze pierces right through his heart.  
  
“Who are you?” He asks breathlessly.  
  
The stranger blinks. “I-I don’t know…I’m…”  
  
Sunggyu stares at him. “Woohyun.”  
  
“What?” The boy looks at him in surprise. “How did you-? I…I think that’s my name.”  
  
He smiles because he doesn’t know how else to react and Woohyun returns it. The name fell of his tongue as if it has always been there, just waiting to be spoken.  
  
“I’m Sunggyu…” He mumbles.  
  
Woohyun grins. “I knew that had to be your name. It’s as beautiful as its owner.”  
  
Sunggyu smiles shyly, unsure how to react to the flattery. He holds out a hand. “Here, stand up. You are getting all dirty.”  
  
A spark goes through his body when their hands touch. He pulls Woohyun up, but instead of letting go they intertwine their fingers. Sunggyu feels his heart pounding fast in his chest. Woohyun looks at their connected hand. “Did you feel it too?”  
  
“Y-Yeah…” They stare at each other and Sunggyu swallows. “Why don’t you stay here? I-I mean until you recovery your memory. If you want- I mean I’m living alone and-“  
  
Woohyun’s lips are on his suddenly, though the other boy retreats as quickly as he came. They avert their gazes with rosy cheeks. “I’d love that.”  
  
  
  
And then it became the best birthday ever. The 5-year-plan was soon forgotten, the girl with the beautiful auburn her was replaced with a black-haired man and the seven children became a pack of homeless puppies they found in the woods one day.

  
Life was perfect, just as it had been destined to be.

 

 

 

 


End file.
